Battle of Ma'loula
) |place=Ma'loula, Syria |result=Syrian Army victorySyria gov’t gains Christian site MaaloulaRobert Fisk in Damascus: Assad's troops may be winning this war in Syria's capital - untouched by Obama's threats *The Syrian Army restores control of Maaloula *Pockets of jihadist resistance remain in the surrounding mountains |combatant1= Al-Nusra Front Free Syrian Army Ahrar al-Sham Qalamoun Liberation Front |combatant2= Syrian Arab Republic * Syrian Armed Forces * National Defense Force |commander1=Abu Mohammad al-Golani (brigade commander) Abu Khaled (Baba Amr Revolutionaries Brigade commander)Syria rebels withdraw from ancient Christian town of Maaloula |commander2=Unknown |units1= Unknown |units2=67th Armoured Brigade 81st Armoured Brigade 155th Army Brigade |strength1= ~400 |strength2= 3,000 |casualties1= 19+ killed, 100+ wounded |casualties2= 8+ killed |casualties3= At least three or five civilians executed and six kidnappedBattle for Syria Christian town of Maaloula continues BBC, 11 September 2013 by Al-Nusra Jihadists }} The Battle of Ma'loula was fought in September 2013, when rebel forces attacked the town of Ma'loula, a Christian town with an Assyrian/Syriac population that speaks Western Neo-Aramaic. The town is located 56 km to the northeast of Damascus, and built into the rugged mountainside, at an altitude of more than 1500 metres. Background According to the information from residents, Al-Qaeda linked jihadist Al-Nusra Front had been based in the mountains near the Safir hotel since March 2013. It was reported that the jihadists were harassing the Christian people of the village since then. It was also reported that a Christian farmer could not go up to the area to farm his land, located near the hotel, unless he was accompanied by a Muslim resident of the village.The Telegraph. Syria crisis: al-Qaeda seizes village that still speaks the ancient language of Christ Jihadist attack On 4 September, a truck driven by a Jordanian suicide bomber exploded near a checkpoint of the Syrian Army at the entrance of Ma'loula. The explosion gave the signal for the attack. The jihadists took control of the checkpoint, killing eight soldiers and disabling two tanks, according to opposition sources, while the Syrian Air Force led three raids against the checkpoint after its capture. Jihadist rebels, Assad loyalists fight for control of Syrian countryside During the fighting, jihadists captured the Safir hotel and used it to fire in the direction of the community below. At the end of the day, rebels took control of several segments of this historical town. Army counter-attack On 6 September, the Syrian Army sent reinforcements, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, to regain control of parts of the town, while the rebels retreated. The Army reinforced the checkpoint that was attacked by the Jordanian suicide bomber, while fighting erupted around Ma'loula after the jihadists retreated.Friday 6 September 2013 On 7 September, fighting resumed around Ma'loula after the Syrian army attacked jihadist fighters stationed in a hotel on a nearby hill. New jihadist attack On 8 September, however it was reported jihadist forces had retaken Ma'loula after they received reinforcements and were able to force the Army to retreat from the town. During the day's fighting, 18 jihadists were killed and 100 wounded.Syria: Maaloula's Mother Superior Rejects Claims of Rebels Pillaging Monastery A resident of Ma'loula reported that the jihadists attacked Christian homes and killed several people. They also torched a church and looted another one, and threatened several Christian villagers with beheading if they did not convert to Islam. Although, a local nun who spoke to the BBC denied reports of forced conversion and persecution of Christians. Many of Ma'loula's residents fled, while Muslim residents reportedly welcomed the entry of jihadist and insurgent forces. A woman from the village said to Lebanese media that her husband, a member of the town's militia, had his throat cut by Free Syrian Army jihadists. According to a jihadists brigade leader, the Army was still present at one of the entrances of Ma'loula. At the end of the afternoon, the Army and the People's Committee militia were fighting jihadists to regain control of the town with clashes around Ma'loula and in the neighbouring Jarajafa area. New Army counter-attack On 9 September, Syrian Army troops launched an offensive to retake the town and jihadist-held position on the surrounding hills. From the 3,300 inhabitants of the town, only 50 had remained during the fighting, according to a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from jihadists. A church was burnt in the western part of the village. Some residents affirm that their families had been forced to leave the town by the jihadists, while others said that jihadists forced one person to convert to Islam at gunpoint and executed another.Syrian rebels to retreat from Christian town of Maaloula France 24, 11 September 2013 On 10 September, jihadist forces declared their withdrawal from Ma'loula under the condition that the Army and pro-government militias would also not enter the town.Syria rebels announce withdrawal from Christian town However, by the next day, jihadists had not retreated and fighting inside the town was still ongoing. Battle for Syria Christian town of Maaloula continues Later in the day, SOHR reported that government forces had captured large parts of the town. On 15 September, the military secured Ma'loula. References Category:2013 in Syria Category:Conflicts in 2013 Category:Battles of the Syrian Civil War